AMERICAN EX – SERGEANT'S ADVENTURES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 263, 10 November 1906, Page 13

AMERICAN EX - SERGEANT'S ADVENTURES.

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM FILIPINOS. To be captured by a savage enemy, dragged for miles through the dense forests of a strange land, and then with the yells of the fast-folio-wing rescue party ringing In your ears to be hurriedly sentenced to death, to have arms and feet lashed together with thongs, to be stood at the brink of a precipice and at last to lose '•onsciousness as the flashes burst from the irons of the firing squad, your exoeutioners — a ii this may have happened to more than a few but not many live to tell about it. One survivor of such an experience is E. E. Norval, who arrived in San Praneisco recently from Manila on the liner China. Xorval went to the Philippines in ISO 9as a non-commissioned officer of the Twelfth United States Infantry. Hiss command was assigned for duty iv Northern Luzon, one of the hotbeds of the insurrection. During a scouting trip, November 10th, 1890, Norval and Commissary Sergeant Pederson of tbi" Ninth Infantry were cut off from their detachment near Murcin, about sixty miles north of Manila. Finding themselves surrounded the two American soldiers, siandlng back to back, put up a gallant but futile fight. They foucht until they fainted from loss of blood. Pederson was bolopfl five times and Norval has six scars to remind him of that bad quarter of sn hour. The prisoners were taken to the Insurgent camp at Mount Aryat, General Aquino's headquarters. Shortly after their arrival they were joined by C. C. Cooke, Charles Cooke, and Alonzo Brown all of the Ninth Infantry and all captured in the same engagement. The American troops, bent on rescue, were close on the heels of the party bringing in the last three prisoners. ' Scouts brought word to Gen eral Aquino of the American approach, and he gave orders that the prisoners be shot.

In charge of an execution squad of nine men they were led to the edge of the bluff, where the men were lined up with feet and hands bound. TTie order "fire" was obeyed, and the five men fell. The three Ninth Infantry men were killed instantly. Federson tumbled over the bluff, -wounded but alive. Norval, unharmed, fell on his face. He moved after he fell and two hullets were tired into his boay. A few minutes later American troops were or the scene.

Norval and Pederson were nursed back to health. Pederson remained in the army and was killed about a year ago in Mindanao. Tsorval resigned from the military service and received an appointment as customs inspector.